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2009
NFL Draft Needs - Jacksonville Jaguars
by Gregory Cox
Senior Writer
4/22/09
Picks (9): 8, 39, 72, 107, 144, 180, 232, 250, 253
*-compensatory picks cannot be traded
Defensive Tackle – Parting ways with Marcus Stroud has come
back to haunt them. John Henderson’s play suffered mightily without
Stroud. The defense still managed to do a decent job stopping the run,
but would like to get back to stifling the run. An elite talent capable
of elevating the play of the surrounding players, including the fading
Henderson, will be considered in the draft. This kind of thing happens
often in the NFL. Rob Meier being elevated to a starting role did not
work out and now the Jags need to make this a higher priority than they
expected this time last year.
Offensive Tackle – It is no secret that signing Tra Thomas, who
will turn 35 during the season, from Philadelphia to replace the
departed Khalif Barnes is not a real solution at left tackle. The Jags
might be able to get by this season with Thomas starting there, but it
would only be a last resort. Preferably they will look at one of the
top tackle prospects early in the draft. Quarterback David Garrard, who
is on a bit of a hot seat at the moment, blames himself for the 42
sacks he suffered in 2008. Those sacks cost the team nearly triple the
yardage (288) of the previous season (99) so Garrard slimmed down his
frame considerably. It is admirable of him to put this on his shoulders
as a team leader and attempt to help the situation, but an anchor at
left tackle is a serious problem.
Wide Receiver – I have almost run out of jokes to describe their
problems at this position. Suffice it to say their decision making at
this position has been questionable. Jerry Porter was a free agent
disaster and was cut. His confidence swelled when playing behind a
legendary duo of players, Tim Brown and Jerry Rice, and the ego never
matched his performance. Troy Williamson was a bust as a #7 overall
pick for Minnesota and 5 receptions this season with the Jags did
nothing to modify that label. Making matters worse, Matt Jones and
Reggie Williams have run into off-field issues to end their runs with
the team as former first round picks. The pair has been criticized, but
did combine for 102 receptions for 1,125 yards and 5 touchdowns. Some
of that slack will be picked up by former star Torry Holt (Rams) who
might or might not be able to succeed in a new environment. The team is
trying to battle the history of failed early picks as I just discussed,
and the bigger problem is having no time to develop a rookie. Adding
Holt takes some of the pressure off, but they need more help.
Secondary – Without knowing where Brian Williams will play and
how Sean Considine (Eagles) fits into the equation it is hard to figure
out if cornerback or safety is going to be the call on draft day.
Reggie Nelson, a first round pick in 2007, is of course still very much
in the mix. At cornerback Rashean Mathis locks down one spot securely,
but this is where the story winds back to Williams. He might move back
to cornerback from safety which would hurt the safety situation where
Gerald Sensabaugh (Cowboys) and Pierson Prioleau (Saints) have signed
elsewhere. If his best fit is at safety there is a big hole at starting
cornerback. Drayton Florence was a free agency failure at cornerback
and is gone. Scott Starks just signed a two-year deal, but is not
starter material. Conceivably a safety and cornerback could be drafted,
but it is tough to get it nailed down without knowing how the team will
handle Brian Williams.
Offensive Line (interior) – The strategy will be to hope
injured starting guards Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams will return
healthy enough to assume their roles in the lineup. Obviously the
powerful running game from 2007 fell on hard times when that pair got
hurt. It would make sense to draft someone to help the depth chart if
the injury bug strikes again. Chris Naeole is lingering in free agency,
but he’s 34 and is not the sort of insurance solution they should be
seeking to solve this problem. It has already been illustrated that
Uche Nwaneri and Dennis Norman were unable to handle starting roles. At
center Brad Meester is 32 and also prone to injury. The sum total of
this situation might lead the team to consider a player capable of
playing both guard and center. There are some of those types available
in any draft.
Running Back – Maurice Jones-Drew learned from a good one. The
time finally came for Fred Taylor to part ways with the team. Last year
Chauncey Washington was in my opinion a quality seventh round pick out
of USC with some potential. If the team agrees that he can pair with a
former UCLA grad (Jones-Drew) in a harmonious all-LA backfield they
might stand pat. Otherwise searching for another option capable of
chewing up carries makes sense. Jones-Drew has never carried the ball
200+ times in his three seasons and ideally would be in the 220-250
range. He has been inked to a new deal and the team has to protect
their investment by not overusing him.
Defensive End – I have not lost my mind. Well, maybe I have but
that’s not the point. Last year’s draft strategy was to address their
pass rush hard. Derrick Harvey (Florida) was taken in the first round
and Quentin Groves (Auburn) in the second round, not to mention a
certain trade up and holdout where Harvey is concerned. The results
were disastrous. A year later, I would look at the releasing of Paul
Spicer as an excuse to add someone in the late rounds or even a rookie
after the draft. The philosophy here would be to get a player willing
to fight for a roster spot and therefore light a fire under Harvey and
Groves who clearly struggled to make the transition into the NFL.
Quarterback – This need has to be included because of the
rampant speculation about the team possibly drafting USC’s Mark
Sanchez. The salary associated with such a selection combined with the
recently inked extension of incumbent starter David Garrard to me would
make such a move highly unlikely. Never mind the fact that head coach
Jack Del Rio’s seat is warm. Drafting a quarterback in the first round
under such circumstances is strange. If the team decides to take
another shot in the later rounds I can get behind that decision. Cleo
Lemon is an affordable backup, which is a nice way to say he provides
no pressure to Garrard. Last year’s rookie free agent addition Paul
Smith threw for oodles of yards at Tulsa, but a lot of that came via
screen passes against lesser competition in Conference USA. When you
consider this depth chart, other than Garrard’s extension and Del Rio’s
tenuous position it would be easy to see why quarterback could be
addressed. In defense of Garrard (as I stated above) he has slimmed
down to increase his mobility hoping to eliminate costly sacks.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 7 rounds
Gregory Cox's 2009 NFL Mock
Draft - 6 rounds
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